Method of making insulating material



April 1 1924. 1,488,504

J. J.'KEYE S METHOD OF MAKING INSULATING MATERIAL Filed Aug. 8, 1919 GOOQQYQOOO INVENDTOR John J. Kaye 6.

A'ITORNEY Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN 'cr. KEYES, or WILKINSBU'RG, PEN SYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATIO or PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF MAKING INSULATING MATERIAL.

Application filed August form as to make. the material suitable for; utilization in separating the coils of shell' type transformers or for other purposes of manufacture in which a corrugated strip of insulating materialis of value.

In the manufacture of shell-type transformers, the flat windings are supported in spaced relation by employing a curved strip of insulating material.- The insulating ma terial employed, heretofore, has been fullerboard, or a material of a similar nature, out into strips by a bandsaw which necessitates cutting the strips in a serpentine or corrugated form. The curved strips are especially-adapted, for separating the various coils of the transformer as they provide a better mechanical structure than straight strips. Although strips of this character are especially suitable-for the Work, they are more or less diifieult to form,as it requires careful work in cutting the strips into the proper shape. y

One object of my invention resides, therefore, in the provision of apparatus" which shall facilitate forming'in sulating material of suitable shape for employment in I the manufacture of shell-type transformers;

Another object ofmyinvention is'to set forth a suitable material which is especially adapted for insulating purposes and which possesses a high mechanical strength and also lends itself readily to being formed into the proper shape by the apparatus provided by my invention.

With these andother objects in view. my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the drawings, in the several views of which corresponding numerals indicate like parts, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation,

s, 1919. Serial No. 316,104.

parts being broken away, of attachments for a press provided by my invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view of attachments for a press.

illustrating a modification of my invention; Fig. 3 is a side view of press attachments illustrating another modified form of my invention; Fig. 4 is a view of apcurved strip of insulating material constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line VV of Fig. 4:.

In practising my invention,Imay employ an ordinary press, utilized in compacting va-' rious materials and I may provide this press with attachments or platens which may be emp oyed to compact fibrous material in such manner that strips of it may be easily cut to provide a corrugated or curved strip of insulating material. The platens may have grooved surfaces; between which layers of the fibrous material impregnated with a ,suita'ble binder maybe compacted in corrugated form. The platens may also be'provided with means for so'heating them-that the fibrous material may be compacted and v the binder hardened in one operation. Al-.

though my invention contemplates the construction of insulating material suitable' for employment in the manufacture ofshelltype'transformers, insulating material may be provided in a like, manner which may be utilized in various structures other than transformers. A

In Fig. 1 is shown a plurality ofpress platens l and 2, the press platen 1 being connected to a pressrain 3. Each of the platens may be formed with a grooved work ing face, as indicated at 4:. The grooved working faces, of the platens 1 and 2-, when in engagement, fit together and cooperate to press sheet material 5, disposed between them into a curved or corrugated sheet.

with a binder adapted to harden under the application of heat, is being pressed. However, either of the platens, or both, may be provided with suitable heating means, if de sired. The upper'platen 2 may be secured to a supporting plate 7 by links 8 carried by pins 9 secured to the ends of the supporting plate 7 and the platen The ends of theably of different lengths so that the upper platen 2 first engages the lower platen 1 at one end and; engages it successively asthe lower platen is moved up into position.

The successive engagement, of the grooved surfaces in this manner, insures proper pressure application upon thefibrous material and obviates any danger of the fibrous material being torn as it is'forced into the grooves. The spring 10 may be omitted if desired, but this spring insures such en gagement at one end of the sheet that it will be drawn into the grooves from the other side of the platens astheir working -surfaces progressively engage. The links, which support the upper press platen, being of different lengths, permit of an .initial engagement of the press platens at one side and also permit of a subsequent progressive engagement as the lower press platen is moved up into position.

In Fig. 2 is shown a modification of my .invention in which the upper press platen 2is formed .of separable sections 11 which may move relative to each other. On account of the upper press platen 2 being.

formed of a plurality of sections, a slightly modified form of support must be provided therefor. .I haveshowm'therefore, a plate 12 which may be secured to the supporting member 7 and may be provided with slots 13 adapted to receive pins 14 which are secured to the sections 11. A pressure member 15 may be disposed between the separ--' able sections 11 and the supporting member 7 and upon one end of which the spring 10 may be supported in a manner similar to that shown in Fig.1. The slots 13 may be of different lengths, the longest slot being, preferably, near the end of the plate adjacent the spring 10. The section 11, being so supported, will, therefore, successively engage the working face of the lower platen 1 as it is advanced upward into position. The separable sections 11 are, of course, formed with faces adapted to fit snugly into the grooved face of the lower platen 1. By supporting the sections 11 by means'of pins carried in slots'provided in the plate 12, relative movement of them is permitted and they are also so held together that they will always properly engage the working face of the lower platen. t

The operation of the attachment above described is exactly similar to the attachtions engage one end first and successively engage it as the lower press platen is moved upward. The sheet of material will, therefore, be drawn into the grooves from one side and will be thoroughly compacted when all of the sections have moved into position and sullicient pressure has been applied.

In Fig. is shown another modified form of my invention in which the separable sections 11 are supported by the pins 14 dis posed in the slots 13 provided in the plate 12, but, in this instance, the slots 18 are all of equal length. In order to procure succcssive engagement of the sections with the lower platen and to insure the sheet material being drawn; smoothly into the grooyes, the central section is forced to first engage the material, by employing a member 16 pivoted at its central portion, as indicated at 17, and disposing it between the separable sections 11 and the supporting member 7. The spring 10, in this instance, is dis posed with one of its ends engaging the pivoted central portion of the member 16 t and its other end is-disposed in a suitable recess 18 in the supporting member 7.

' In operation, the above described modification of my invention is substantially the same as the attachments described heretofore. In this instance, however, the central section makes the initial engagement and, as the lower press platen is pressed upward, the sections on either side of it successively engage the sheet material disposed upon the lower press platen. The. material is drawn in from each side, and, after the sections are all in correct" position, the sheet material is thoroughly compacted by the application of suflicient pressure.

I have found that a suitable material, which may be employed in constructingra curved or corrugated strip by utilizing the above described apparatus, may comprise binder and stacked to a suitable thickness. The stacked material may then be disposed upon the lower platen of the press and the pressure applied by forcing it into engagement with the upper platen. If a phenolic condensation product is employed as a binder, heat may-be applied, together with the pressure, to harden the binder to its substantially insoluble and infusible state. Large sheets of such material may be compacted and the sheetsmay then be cut to form strips of suitable thickness. A strip of insulating material may be provided, such as shown in Fig. 4. The width of the ber of sheets may be impregnated with a out strip will, of course, be the thicknessof the sheet material and the thickness of the strip will depend upon the manner of cutabove described, facilitates and promotes rapid production of such strips on account of the'fact that they'may be cut from a corrugated sheet and may, therefore, be cut straight the proper curved shape being provided by the corrugations. It will be a ,preciated, ,of course, that various materia s may be employed in forming the insulatin strips. '1 have mentioned fibrous materia and a phenolic condensation product as these are well suited for forming strips of insulating material possessing great mechanical strength and high insulating qualities.

Although I have specifically described a plurality of attachments which may be employed in presses to form insulating strips.

which may be utilized in transformer manufacture, it will. be. apparent that minor changes may be made in the attachments and various other applications'iound for the material without departing from the spirit of myinvention, and I desire, therefore, that no limitations shall be imposed except such as are indicated in theappended claims. I

I claim as my invention:

l. A method of making insulating ma- 'terial into strips of suitable thickness.

2. A method of making insulating material that comprises impregnating sheet material with a binder, stackin the sheets to form .a body of suitable thickness, app y gressive y form corrugations and compact the material, and applying heat to first soften and then harden the binder.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto ressure upon the material to prosubscribed my name this 30th dayof July JOHN J. KEYES. 

